First of all, we recommend iTunes, which is created by Apple. iTunes is a free and easy download, and works on both Mac and PC platforms.

You can visit Apple's website for some additional information, but we've listed some simple steps below for converting your audio files to an MP3 format.

STEP 1: Open iTunes

STEP 2: Open iTunes Preferences. (WINDOWS: On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.)
(MAC: From the iTunes menu, choose Preferences.)

STEP 3: Click the Advanced button, then click the Importing button at the top of the window.

STEP 4: From the Import Using pop-up menu, choose MP3 Encoder from the encoding format drop-down menu, then click OK to save the settings.

STEP 5 (OPTIONAL, BUT RECOMMENDED): From the Setting drop-down menu, select Custom, and a new pop-up window will appear. While compression settings are subject to your personal taste and preferences, we recommend the following settings...

Stereo Bit Rate: Set to 96kbps
Quality: Set to Medium
Sample Rate: Set to 44.100 kHz
Channels: Set to Auto
Stereo Mode: Set to Joint Stereo
Smart Coding Adjustments: Leave this checked
Filter Frequencies Below 10Hz: We recommend just leaving this checked.

Click OK after confirming the compression settings above.

STEP 6: Now, if your audio file is already stored in iTunes, then proceed to STEP 7. If your audio file is "not" already stored within iTunes, then you need to import that audio file into iTunes for conversion to MP3. Click Here for information on importing audio into iTunes.

STEP 7: Now, to actually convert a song in your iTunes library to the MP3 format, from the Advanced menu, choose Convert Selection To MP3.

CONGRATULATIONS ! ! !
The song in its original format, and the newly converted song will now appear in your iTunes library. You should now be able to drag your newly converted MP3 audio clip from your iTunes application to your desktop (for finding it more conveniently), so that you can upload it to your Media Portal.